The best makeup removers for sensitive skin you can buy

The article includes Dr. Patel‘s expert advice on how to choose the best make up remover for your skin.

I think I’m the only person in the world who can’t use most popular micellar waters to remove makeup. They work just fine on my face, but they burn the heck out of my eyes — not ideal when I’m trying to scrub off stubborn eyeliner and long-lasting mascara at the end of a long day.

When I first looked into skin-care, I quickly realized I preferred oils, balms, and bi-phase removers with a lot of slip to them. The kind you can really massage into your face without tugging at gentle skin, especially around the eyes and mouth. Lots of tugging not only encourages wrinkles but can also cause irritation.

“Oil-based or cream-based removers are recommended [for sensitive skin] and then a mild face wash to get off the makeup remover,” Dr. Purvisha Patel, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Visha Skincare, told Insider Picks.

It can be challenging to figure out which products could irritate your skin just by looking at the bottle, especially if you’re experimenting with a new ingredient. For some general guidelines, Dr. Patel recommends steering clear of “alcohol-based astringents and foaming cleansers” or removers that contain “strong acids, sulfates, and parabens,” all of which can have a sensitizing effect on reactive skin.